Complex manufacturing projects such as the design and manufacture of aircraft generally require the successful integration of design engineering, manufacturing engineering and sometimes numerical control (NC) programming. The production of aircraft, for example, typically requires the successful integration of hundreds of thousands of parts and associated processes according to a comprehensive plan to produce an aircraft in accordance with engineering design data, and includes the automated manufacturing of a number of components, assemblies and sub-assemblies according to NC programming techniques.
From design engineering, engineering design data typically includes engineering drawings and parts lists that cooperatively form an engineering product plan that describes how component parts including materials, components, assemblies and sub-assemblies must be combined to form the desired product. For this, design engineering often makes use of computer-aided design (CAD) systems.
Manufacturing engineering may include the subsequent compilation of a manufacturing process plan from the engineering design data to make sure the intent of the design engineering is properly executed, often making use of manufacturing process planning (MPP) systems. Manufacturing engineering produces this manufacturing process plan so that identified parts in the desired product may be properly scheduled for assembly on the factory floor. Suitable scheduling and coordination is particularly important in complex projects that require accurate estimation of factors such as the overall cost of the project, the time required for completion of the project, and the risk of failure. In addition, these complex projects often require accurate estimation of other variables of importance such as the overall efficiency of the project. The manufacturing process plan therefore typically includes factory floor planning, tool planning and scheduling, compilation of work plans for assembly personnel, assembly plans, and other similar activities.
The NC programming for automated manufacture of various parts of the product generally takes input of engineering design data from design engineering, and the manufacturing process plan from manufacturing engineering. The NC programming produces machine control data such as commands for operation of automated machinery to produce the respective components, assemblies and sub-assemblies of the product, often making use of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) systems.
Although existing process planning and analysis techniques are useful, it is generally desirable to improve upon existing techniques.